The St. Louis Cardinals parted ways with hitting coach Brant Brown at the beginning of the offseason. Robert Murray of FanSided reported that the Cardinals are hiring Joel McKeithan as their hitting coach. McKeithan most recently served as an assistant hitting coach with the Chicago White Sox.
Earlier in the offseason, it was rumored that Casey Chenoweth, whom Jordan Walker has credited with influencing his rebound campaign, would take the job. St. Louis opted to go outside the organization for their hire with McKeithan.
Cardinals Bring In Joel McKeithan To Work With Young Roster
Last season with the White Sox, McKeithan worked with a youthful roster. That partnership ended with a playoff run this season. McKeithan will now begin a new project with the Cardinals, another young roster and another process-oriented outlook.
McKeithan brings a fresh voice to the Cardinals clubhouse, with the intention of making strides with the young players on the St. Louis roster. With pieces falling into place for the Cardinals, McKeithan is stepping into a job that is already in motion, and it is his job to guide the young pieces and the perceived future of the organization.
Aside from the White Sox, McKeithan was also the hitting coach for the Cincinnati Reds and has worked with Driveline, which many St. Louis hitters have visited. Walker visited Driveline to work on his swing in the offseason, and most recently Victor Scott II has been working with coaches to make improvements to his offensive side.
Cardinals Hire Third Hitting Coach in 5 Years
When the Cardinals removed Jeff Albert as hitting coach at the end of the 2022 season, St. Louis promoted Turner Ward.
Ward only lasted two seasons in St. Louis before the team moved on from him in favor of Brown. Much like his predecessor, Brown lasted just two seasons with the Cardinals before his departure.
Albert is the most recent hitting coach to remain on the staff for four seasons, and you have to go back to John Mabry from 2013 to 2018 for one who lasted five seasons.
Since the firing of Mike Matheny as manager in 2018, the Cardinals have had two managers, and the hitting coach position has more or less felt like a revolving door.
With three coaches in five years and four since 2018, the Cardinals’ new regime is attempting to find answers quickly to keep the rebuild on track. McKeithan will step into a job that has been a quick trigger for the Cardinals brass to find a new face. With his success with Chicago’s young roster, St. Louis is going to have to take the chance that last season was not a fluke on the Southside.
Cardinals Hire Brant Brown’s Replacement Away From White Sox